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Armenia
Bari Galust Hayastan
(Welcome to Armenia)
Armenia is a small, landlocked country in the Caucasus region straddling the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Perhaps often overshadowed as a travel destination by it's more popular neighbours, this is a shame really as Armenia has a rich culture, many beautiful sights and some very interesting history.
This is my photo gallery from Armenia.
Our tour takes in Yerevan, Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Garni, and Geghard.
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Armenia (2015-18)
photo taken by Alex Acuyo
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where_is_waller The first time I visited Yerevan it felt very modern and relaxed. It was late April,
there was a lot of greenery and flowers and young people sitting around enjoying the sunshine. There
were lots of sculptures doted about the city allowing for some fun shots (such as this one above and
another photo further down the page). The second time I visited though was late December and oh my
what a difference the weather makes..!
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Short on time?
Click thumbnails below to view gallery in slideshow format
Armenia - Geghard (2015)
Armenia - Lake Sevan (2015)
Armenia - Lake Sevan (2015)
Armenia - Yerevan (2015)
Armenia - Yerevan (2015)
Armenia - Yerevan (2015)
Armenia - Yerevan (2015)
Armenia - Lake Sevan (2015)
Armenia - Lake Sevan (2015)
Armenia - Dilijan (2015)
Armenia - Garni (2018)
Armenia - Geghard (2015)
Armenia - Geghard (2018)
Armenia - Geghard (2018)
Armenia - Yerevan (2015)
Or continue for full blog...
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Geghard and Sevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/180 - f6.7
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Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/45 - f4
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Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/250 - f8
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where_is_waller Armenia is a deeply traditional place. Did you know that Armenia was the first country to adopt
Christianity as the official religion? One of the quarters of Jerusalem's Old City is actually called the Armenian Quarter
in fact. There are churches, cathedrals and monasteries everywhere and everyday life for Armenians is still very much
connected to the religion.
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Yerevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 50mm: 1/6 - f16
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where_is_waller Armenian architecture is very distinctive with sharp lines and pointed domes. This is the
Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, which is a much newer Cathedral (2001) in Yerevan.
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Yerevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 11-16mm: 1/250 - f5.6
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where_is_waller Armenia's history is unfortunately also deeply scarred by tragedy. Although still to this day 'officially' disputed by Turkey, I think it's generally accepted among scholars and historians that the events that occurred between 1915 and 1923 constitute what is now known as the Armenia Genocide. On a hill overlooking the city is Tsitsernakaberd, a memorial to the Armenian Genocide. The site is a small yet informative memorial into the circumstances that led to and horrors that occurred during the genocide (especially the many death marches that took place), and is a must visit to better understand Armenian identity both within the country and the wider diaspora. At the far end of the site are 12 leaning slabs in a circle (representing the 12 lost provinces) with an eternal flame in the centre. This visit was just after Remembrance Day - April 24th - so there were lots of flowers laid out. It was also the 100 year anniversary that year, marked by the image of the forget-me-not flower around the memorial grounds.
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Yerevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 50mm: 10s - f13
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where_is_waller The Cascades monument in the city centre might look like a bizarre Soviet staircase (it
actually houses an arts centre) but it does afford an amazing view across the city to Mount Ararat with it's snow-
capped peaks looming in the distance. Of course, you might recognise the name of this famous mountain - it is
the presumed resting place for Noah's Ark, after the great flood in the Genesis narrative.
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Yerevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/90 - f8
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where_is_waller The sun rises behind a statue of Zoravar Andranik (an Armenian general greatly admired
as a national hero for his efforts towards Liberating Armenia from the Ottomans) in front of the Cathedral of
St Gregory the Illuminator in Yerevan.
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Sevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/125 - f8
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where_is_waller The capital is perfectly pleasant of course, but, Armenia's real charms (like most places
probably) reside out in the countryside, and thankfully being a fairly small country means it is pretty easy to
get around and see the highlights and also be able explore a little further as well. And what better way than
in the back of a beat-up old Lada (just like my Mum had when I was a kid, for extra nostalgia points!).
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Sevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/250 - f8
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where_is_waller A good place to start is Lake Sevan. The
lake looks like a beach destination but personally I am not so
sure as it always seems cold and windy whenever I've been there.
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Haghartsin - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/250 - f8
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where_is_waller Following further north you come to the town of Dilijan, known as
the 'Armenian Switzerland' for its climate and forests and alpine meadows. The town itself
was pretty small and quiet but the highlight was hiring bikes and cycling up to Haghartsin
Monastery. It's a 26km round trip, with half of that being flat and the other half a pretty
steep hill (uphill on the way and downhill on the return - without any brakes and in fairly
heavy rain in my case, but hey, I survived so all good fun in the end).
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Garni - Amenia (2018)
Nikon D750 + 24-120mm: 1/320 - f11
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where_is_waller Another popular day trip from the capital is to head west towards Geghard Monastery, with
a stop at Garni Temple. This is the beautiful view from the temple itself looking towards the Azat River Gorge.
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Geghard - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/350 - f5.6
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where_is_waller This lady sells local bread at the entrance to
Geghard Monastery. This was taken on my first trip, but there she
was, again, four years later still at her little table. I never realised
the writing on the bread is actually the name of place, until I took
the bread back to the hostel and the lady in the common area was
like "oh, so you've been out to Geghard today then..."
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Geghard - Armenia (2018)
Nikon D750 + 24-120mm: 1/320 - f8
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where_is_waller The medieval monastery of Geghard is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is perhaps the
most popular tourist site in Armenia. It's setting within the gorge is absolutely stunning and parts of the complex
are carved into the rock and cliffs so there are lots of corners to explore. It is said the the spear that pierced Jesus
during his crucifixion was brought and stored here at Geghard (it is now in a museum at Etchmiadzin apparently)
so it has a lot of significance as a site for religious pilgrimage.
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Geghard - Armenia (2018)
Nikon D750 + 24-120mm: 1/320 - f8
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where_is_waller Another view of the Monastery from outside the East gate. The Monastery looks absolutely
beautiful in the snow (and is much quieter in terms of visitor numbers too, which is an added bonus!)
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Yerevan - Armenia (2015)
photo provided by Alex Acuyo
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where_is_waller Never missing a chance to play... here outside the Matenadaran in Yerevan.
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Yerevan - Armenia (2015)
Nikon D7000 + 50mm: 1/250 - f8
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where_is_waller I have been to Armenia on two short trips, in very different and contrasting seasons. I haven't
even scratched the surface though and there is certainly plenty more areas and sites around the country I would love to one
day return to explore further (Tatev Monastery, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the petroglyphs on Ughtasa, etc)...
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Have you been, do you live in, or are you from Armenia?
* Get in touch *
I would love to see your recommendations, photography or blogs from this amazing destination...!
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Page published: 30.09.2019
Updated: 23.05.2020
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